Arcane Crusaders
by Elliot Pole
Summary: A man named Mr. Summers has got hold of a Milus Radiant that creates the most powerful duelists in the world. He attaches it to a slide and gets seven kids to be affected by it for training. But he didn't count on someone outside the Crusaders stop plan


**Arcane Crusaders: Chapter One**

**The Slide**

Dr. Thornwop stood apart from the surgery table, scalpel in hand. "Nurse," he said quietly.

The woman who approached him knew nothing about nursing. She was an imposter. Her only purpose for being in this hospital was to steal the doctor's keys. "Yes, handsome?" she asked him, batting her eyelashes.

"We need none of this foolishness, Nurse. Now, hand me the X-ray goggles."

"Mary took them to Room 1041."

"But I can't perform this surgery without them! Go tell her this is necessary!"

"I will, handsome man, but only for a price."

"What? I'm the doctor around here, and I make the calls!"

"Nurses are independent individuals, and we have our desires. Right now I desire you."

Even Dr. Thornwop could not help blushing. She came closer and closer….her lips touched his, one arm wrapped around his neck, the other groping in his pocket. Her fingers touched metal. The keys were hers! Quietly she put them into her own pocket, stopped kissing the doctor, and hurried out of the room.

She took the elevator to Floor B1. She opened the third door on the right and went through Dr.Thornwop's private office, the back of which led to the archival library. Once in there, she made three lefts before she found the safe she was looking for.

She must've tried about twenty keys before she found the right one. At last she yanked the tiny safe's door open to discover what curiosity lay within its protection…

There was a Duel Monsters card and a silver pin there, nothing else. _Well, it must be a very rare card, _the pseudo-nurse thought. But when she saw what it was she gasped, nearly dropping it.

Milus Radiant. A common card. Why would Dr. Thornwop feel it needed protection? Furthermore, why did the boss want his hand on this? He couldn't just bought a pack of Metal Raiders and gotten one easily, and besides, he must've had at least two hundred Milus Radiants already. The pseudo-nurse herself had two or three.

On the intercom came an obnoxious voice saying, "There's a thief within our hospital! A nurse, pretending to make moves on the doctor ('Mrs. Oenox!' someone else shouted in irritation), stole his keys. Stop all nurses with blond hair and blue eyes from leaving the building."

_Hah! There are only about three-hundred sixty nurses that fit that description. And lucky for me, my blond hair is fake. _She removed her wig and tossed it in the safe, almost shutting the door but then being struck with an inspiration. She threw the keys in there, too. The doctor was stupid for having a key-lock on his safe instead of a combination one. Now he'd never be able to open it again, except with the help of a skilled locksmith.

She went to the elevator, ascending to the first floor. When she attempted to walk out the front door, someone stopped her. "Sorry, ma'am, but we were ordered to detail all nurses."

"Excuse me? I believe the announcement was aimed at all nurses with blond hair. Does this look like blond hair to you?" she asked, holding up a strand of curly brown hair for the man to examine.

"No, of course not," he said. "You may go, I guess."

"Thank you, but I'm almost inclined to speak to Dr. Thornwop and get you fired for your impertinence."

"Don't do that! Please! I'll do anything!"

This response got her thinking. "Do you have children?"

"Huh? Yes…two."

"Well, if you don't want to be fired, bring your kids to the playground in Lumsigh Park on the Saturday after next."

"Sure thing, Sweetums," he said, for he had now noticed her beauty. "Lumsigh Park. We'll be there."

Thus assured of his promise, the pseudo-nurse walked out.

Two hours later she arrived at the boss' mansion.

Mr. Summers had wild-orange hair that resembled a lion's mane. He had a stride like a rooster and often smoked cigars. He was her boss.

"Ah, Madeleine, you have returned," he said, with a welcoming gesture. "What have you brought?"

"The only thing in the safe was a lame common card."

"Let me see it," Mr. Summers demanded. She held it out to him, along with the silver pin. "Milus Radiant. But you know, there's something different about this one."

"What do you mean?"

"See its mane? The real Milus Radiant doesn't have one." He showed it to her another Milus Radiant he pulled from his pocket. Ugly face, loathsome earrings in its lobes, but no mane. Then he had her take a look at the one she took from Dr. Thornwop's safe. It had a mane as red and vibrant as Mr. Summers' own!

"So this card really is something?" she asked.

"Yes, Madeleine. This card is how we create the top duelists in the world out of little children!"

There was a loud knock at the front door. A servant stood by a painting of a frog on a lily pad. Mr. Summers turned to him. "Watson, be a gentleman and answer that. Jerome is off-duty today."

A few minutes later three broad-shouldered men entered the room. One of them looked windswept, as if he had been fighting a tornado.

"The slide is finished, Master," said the leader of the gang.

"Good, Vertioff. Now, all we need to do is apply Milus Radiant and we'll have our own little warriors."

A week later, Mr. Summers was driven to the Lumsigh Park where the newly-constructed slide stood. Ribbon on all four sides of it barred children from coming within seven feet of it. There were a few kids with wistful eyes longingly staring at the slide. When they saw Mr. Summers enter, one of them asked boldly, "Do you own the slide, mister?"

He turned to face the child. A scrawny little boy not worthy of his time. He would not answer. His eyes drifted and landed on the boy next to the temerarious one. This boy was different. He had that look, as if he could be a dueling champion, slide or no slide. Mr. Summers knew that he must have this boy. He held out his hand to shake, and the boy took it, tentatively. But the rejected kid slapped the accepted boy's hand away, and made his own salutation to Mr. Summers.

Mr. Summers was still looking at the boy he wanted to join his forces. "Come to the playground this coming Saturday," he said, ignoring the other one.

Then Mr. Summers attached Milus Radiant to the slide with the silver pin, which went right through corrugated iron. He stuck it square in the right eye of the monster. After a twenty-four hour spell, the slide would be ready.

The anticipated Saturday came all too soon. Mr. Summers, Madeleine, and the three cronies came and told kids to get in a line. The guy from the hospital winked at Madeleine and two of his kids ran forward to line up. With all the pushing and shoving and jostling that was going on, the two children got separated. Mr. Summers spotted the boy he desired in spot number fourteen. He approached him.

"Would you like a closer place, child?"

"I can wait my turn," the boy said.

"Ah, but I insist."

"Okay, then," the boy said. Mr. Summers forced number seven to step back and make room for his special boy.

One of the cronies cut the rope. Then, starting with child number one, the kids began to approached the metallic stepladder, stand on the top of the slide, take a whiff of the high atmosphere, and then descend. When the first kid landed, he didn't seem any different. Nor did the girl after him. Madeleine wondered if the plan was working. Well, only time would tell.

When Mr. Summer's special boy had reached the bottom and was stepping aside, Vertioff grabbed child number eight (a girl), dropping her roughly on the ground. Then he screeched at the kid's until their fright led them away. All but the seven children who had rode the slide, three boys and four girls. Mr. Summers, Madeleine, and the chosen kids stepped away from the slide while the three cronies wrapped a new ribbon around it and set up an electric fence. "That'll keep away vermin, or they'll be electrocuted," Vertioff scoffed. The whole group went to Mr. Summer's limousine and the chauffer drove them back to the mansion.

Just before they left, Madeleine turned to look at the man who had brought his children. One was clutching him timidly, but the other was not there. Which could only mean one thing: she was among the seven Mr. Summers had collected. This was the first time Madeleine's conscience told her that what they were doing was wrong. Taking kids away from their parents just to make them top duelists? Most likely the children wouldn't be happy. Maybe Mr. Summers would have compassion on them. Maybe…

They arrived at the mansion. The children were dazzled by its size and grandeur. Those that had had qualms about leaving with a stranger before now felt them vanish.

In the vestibule, Mr. Summers told the girls they'd all be sleeping in the same room and so would the boys. Madeleine led the girls, including the man's daughter, and Vertioff led the boys. But Mr. Summers stopped his special boy and asked him to follow him into his study. When the door was shut behind him, he turned to the boy.

"What is your name?"

"I can't say."

"Why not?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"I thought you were an independent, not a mommy's boy."

"I am independent. Look, sir, we won't be strangers if you tell me your name first."

"I am Mr. Maxwell Summers."

"Well, in that case, I'm Theodore Nash."

Mr. Summers went to sit on a red couch in the center of the room. "Theodore. A common nickname for that is Teddy. That wouldn't suit you, would it? No, I should think not. I'll call you Theo."

"What did you bring us kids here for, Mr. Summers?"

"I brought you here to hone your Duel Monsters skills."

"What for?"

"That was no ordinary slide you slid down, Theo. You and the rest of them are going to be the top duelists in the world! However, you need to hone this power so that it can be used adroitly and majestically in the destruction of your opponents."

"Wait, you had us slide to make us _excellent _duelists?"

"Exactly, Theo. And I have the perfect suits for you and everything."

Theo started pacing back and forth. "What about their parents? Will the other kids be able to withstand being away from their families?"

"Oh, Theo. Every duel that they win will mean one more relative forgotten. And nobody has unlimited relatives. You seven will be dueling and dueling and dueling until nothing matters to you except your decks and being the champion gamists."

"It sounds despicable."

"It's ingenious. I thought you would understand. You don't seem to have any family."

"I don't. You've guessed rightly."

"Well, why should you care about other people's families, then?"

Theo shrugged. "I guess I shouldn't. The only family I've ever had were my Duel Monster cards."

'That's the spirit. Now, I need your help in deciding the name of the seven. Ponder on it tonight and tell me in the morning. I'm so eager to let the training begin, and I've got to introduce you by a name with kick and class."

"Certainly, Mr. Summers. I'll come up with something."

Vertioff came and took Theo to the room with the other boys. The next morning he was called down. "Did you come up with a name?"

"I have pondered and pondered and ended up with two. Either 'Arcane Crusaders' or 'Tirade Warriors.'"

"I like the former, but it seems it could use a little work. If you find a way to make it better, I'd be happy. In the meantime, it'll have to do for our invitation cards. Training commences tomorrow. Inform the others."

Theo saluted Mr. Summers and walked out. Ere long, Mr. Summers would be able to take his revenge on the world for scaring him into never playing a Duel Monsters game again. How he had hated their laughter…but no matter. Soon they would glorify him for being the teacher of the best seven duelists who ever existed. Even more than those two delinquents, Yugi Motou and Jaden Yuki.

The training of the Arcane Crusaders began to occupy all of Mr. Summers thoughts. He forgot to make sure everything was secure, to be certain there was no flaw in the plan. Therefore, he can be said to be indirectly responsible for the ensuing incident.

At the playground of Lumsigh Park, there were two slides. One was regularly used, rusted and old. Kids only used it because they had no other choice. The other slide was Mr. Summers', and the electric wiring prevented them from playing on it. It simply existed to look at. However, a young girl decided she was fed up with the old slide. She had to have her chance on the new one, risk or no. She told Louisa, her best friend, that nothing would keep her from her goals. Louisa tried to dissuade her, but Christi wouldn't listened. She jumped over the wiring and landed gracefully in front of the metallic bars. Ascending, she looked down from the top. She seemed a little frightened from Louisa's point of view. Louisa wanted to call somebody to rescue her. But Christi mustered up whatever courage she may've been lacking and slid down, heading straight for the electric wiring!

Christi went right through it. It did not harm her, like it should have. However, she layed sprawled on the ground as if stunned.

"Christi, are you all right?" Louisa asked.

"I'm fine, just fine. And I have a sudden urge to play Duel Monsters."

"But you always lose!"

"So? There's a first time for everything. Let's go play."

Christi beat Louisa and Louisa's cousin, Keith. He asked for a rematch and Christi won again. It was as if she were undefeatable.


End file.
